JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A new baby signifies the growth of a family, the continuation of a legacy, and brings immense joy. However, it is a delicate period for the infant and their life.
Sometimes what surrounds the baby is a threat. Some babies in Florida are dying before their first birthday because of co-sleeping, pillows, or products.
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October is Safe Sleep Awareness Month and Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. On Monday, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, alongside Wolfson Children’s Hospital and the Northeast Florida Healthy Start Coalition, held a Safe Sleep Awareness news conference where a panel of experts discussed the prevention of infant deaths through safe sleep practices.
Jessica Winberry, prevention coordinator with Safe Kids Northeast Florida, discussed some of the products parents may not know could be a danger to their child. She mentioned that items like breastfeeding cushions are sometimes utilized as pillows for babies, which is not safe.
“Remember, suffocation can happen if a chin comes to the chest because the baby doesn’t have the head strength to lift their head up and so they can stop breathing,” Winberry said.
Other items that must be used properly due to safety issues are rockers and swings with specific instructions. Also, a baby should sleep in a crib free from blankets, pillows, toys and bottles.
Lieutenant Mark Lessard with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office responds to some heartbreaking cases of baby deaths.
“We have seen it where parents or caregivers are rolling over onto their child not even knowing that they are underneath them until it’s too late,” Lessard said.
There are four local zip codes with some of the highest rates of unsafe sleep environments: 32208, 32209, 32210 and 32211. Some of the areas mentioned lack resources and may have multiple families living in the same house or lack resources to properly raise and protect their new baby.
There is some good news, there’s been a 44 percent decrease in baby deaths since last year. But, Faye Johnson, CEO of Northeast Florida Healthy Start Coalition, explained there’s still work to be done.
“We surveyed over 1,000 families and in that survey, 84 percent said they had heard about the unsafe sleeping environments, but 26 percent said that it was okay to sleep with their babies in the bed with them. So we were a little surprised by that,” Johnson said.
Regardless of the resources each family has, this team will continue working to remind people there are ways to protect their babies and make sure they grow up well past their first birthday.
| Keep your baby safe with these simple tips | https://abcsofsafezzzs.org/ |
|---|---|
| Firm & Flat | Always place your baby on a firm mattress in a safe crib with a tightly fitted sheet. A safe crib is a bassinet, play-yard or crib that has the spindles no wider than 2-3/8 inches apart and sides that do not drop down. |
| Sleepytime | Dress your baby in a sleep sack, onesie or wearable blanket, depending on the temperature. |
| Room Share, Not Bed Share | Having a baby’s sleep area in the same room, on a separate surface is recommended for the first six months. |
| Tummy Time | Laying your baby on his/her stomach for brief periods while awake is an important way to help strengthen neck and shoulder muscles. Improving your baby’s motor skills reduces the risk of suffocation. |
| Smoke-Free Environment | Don’t smoke in your home or around your baby. Children exposed to tobacco smoke are at risk for asthma and other respiratory illnesses, earaches, and SIDS. |
| Avoid Overheating | Being too hot can increase the risk of SIDS so dress your baby in only one more layer than you’d wear in the same environment. |